


Tavern Tales: HTTYD 1

by RedWind



Series: Tavern Tales [1]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Escape, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 20:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11859276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedWind/pseuds/RedWind
Summary: Part of a Series called "Tavern Tales." People request, I write short stories for them.This one is about the bonding of Nightshade the Triple Stryke and Wolf





	Tavern Tales: HTTYD 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a Series called "Tavern Tales." People request, I write short stories for them.  
> This one is about the bonding of Nightshade the Triple Stryke and Wolf

She didn't know where she was. She knew that the boat was stilled docked on the Edge, that was clear. It was not hard to tell from the shape of the trees and the slope of a nearby hillside. Though, most of the time her juggernaut of a guard blocked her view, and her way to escape. A roar of a dragon reminded her that she was not alone on this ship. Midnight blue against striking black, it was a sight to see. Those three tails and pincers only belong to one beauty, and that was the Triple Stryke. But, Wolf noticed it was pacing back and forth in it's small enclosure, its wings touched the edge of the cage. She had to hold back her pity each time she glanced at it, the guards, as shortsighted as they may be, did not need to have anymore power over her than they already did. 

It was horrible enough, them using her as a leverage, but she needed to save this dragon. Her small time with Sluether taught her that much. Any dragon deserved to be saved, even the most hot tempered ones. Wolf did admit that these guard's weren't as idiotic as she first thought them to be. But, she began to pick up on the routine schedule as the day went on. Morning became midday as the sun began to fade, and that's when they fed her and the dragon. That's also when she insisted she needed to go to the bathroom.

"Guard! Guard! I know you can hear me! Don't ignore me!" Wolf clamored around her cage, bellowing at the top of her lungs, but the dimwitted guard would not budge. He was a wall of muscle between her, and the wilderness. "Guard! I have to pee!" she shouted, bouncing around on her feet. She noticed the guard flinch, his head looking towards the ground. Wolf held back a chuckle. The guards could be so thickheaded. 

"I'm..uh..under strict orders..to uh..not move you.." he said in with a grating voice. Wolf remembered that she had never heard his voice until that point, he sounded like nails scrapping against gravel, rough and irritating. She wanted to cover her ears in annoyance, but the goal was almost in her reach. "Well you better, or I'm gonna go right here on this deck!" Wolf threatened, her face turned upward in impudence. The guard was at a loss for words, preferring to stutter rather than form coherent phrases she could at least understand.

Wolf picked up on an earful of the dragon's laughter, or more of a huffing noise. It seemed bemused at the guard, who seemed to be having a daymare. He was muttering to himself, reaching for cuffs attached to that obstreperous chain that they led her into the cage with. Once she was hooked up to the contraption, she was led off the boat and onto the island. Immediately her eye's scanned the area.  There were many hiding spots for her, but not much for a dragon. But, she narrowed her eyes and squinted, there, right there. Two tree's gave way to a torrent of shrubbery, sodden enough to mask both her and the dragon's scent so the Hunter's couldn't smell the dragon, and was filthy enough to cover both of them in the muck that lived in it. 

"Are you done yet?" the guard grunted. Wolf withdrew from the path, content with her search. As the guard led her back to her cage, she felt the Stryke's eyes on her. She shivered ever so slightly. Sluether was receptive and used to having people near him, this one, this one had been near no humans. Wolf remembered that Sluether was a dragon who fought in the pits, she would have to spend some time speculating if this dragon had been in the very same place Sluether once was. But, like its brethren, this Stryke had no obvious scars, but gave off the appearance of a battle hardened warrior. 

Their eye's met once the guard moved away, Wolf felt something inside her twinge, and she could tell the dragon felt it too. There was no doubt about it, she had to get this dragon away from the hunters. She just needed to figure out how. 

 

Night came all too soon, but, it gave her time to think. The Stryke wanted to get out, it just didn't know how. Wolf remembered that they were smart, but if this dragon could not find a way to escape, she would have to find out a way for both of them to seek liberation from their shared prisons. Both now shared a mutual agreement to flee, to leave this boat and seek freedom. Her guard had come back, and an idea sprang into her head.  She was double jointed, why not use that to her advantage. 

Smiling, Wolf twisted her arm until it looked like it was broken, but to her, it was as comfortable as any regular arm position. "Guard! Help! I think my arm is broken!" The guard in question, swiveled around to face her, grimacing. Opening the door, he motioned for her to show him. 

As soon as she brought it out from behind her, the guard ran to the side of the ship and hurled his midday lunch. Smirking, Wolf ran up and pushed him as hard as she could. A splash soon sounded, along with a girlish scream, but she was making her escape. She quickly found the key to the Stryke's cage, the dragon inside waiting patiently, observing her movements with peering eyes. The keys clattered in the cage, altering a nearby, but dazed guard. He stumbled over to her, but the door swung open. The Stryke was free! It whirled around to face the guard with a growl, its three tails looming over it, giving it's shadow a horned appearance. The guard gulped. The Stryke stabbed the guard with one of it's tails, launching him over the boat with no effort. The guard's screams were muted once he hit the water. Shouts were beginning to be heard as more guards awoke from the commotion. 

Wolf planted a shaking hand on the Stryke. It too twisted on her, crouching down to meet her view. For a heartbeat, it once again locked eyes with her, and instead of shaking her hand off, it let it stay. "Come," she whispered. She didn't know if the dragon understood her, but she led it off the boat and into the forest, down the path of the two trees. 

Angry yowls streamed into her ears as the Hunters scrambled up into the forest, but, they were already covered by the bushes, masked by mud. Wolf let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. 

She was safe. The Stryke was safe. 

"Go," she breathed, pushing the Stryke away. It did not budge. Up close, she could tell the dragon was female, and very, very, stubborn. "Oh you silly thing, go! You're free." 

But she did not move. 

Wolf didn't care if the Hunter's could hear her, but she let out a laugh right then and there. The dragon did understand! The time she spent was not wasted, she could see that. 

"Alright," she said, heading back on a path she assumed lead back to the Edge, "You can come with me." 

The dragon followed behind her, pausing to sniff every so often to sniff at bushes of deadly nightshade. 

"Nightshade..I think I'll call you Nightshade." 

The newly named Nightshade let out an approving churr. 


End file.
